Applying Adult Learning Principles to Employee Training

The purpose of training employees is to increase their knowledge and improve productivity. It is in the best interest of both employees and employers to make the training process as effective as possible. This study applied the principles of Knowles's Andragogical Theory to the employee training in the company studied and identified those principles that were most effective in improving the training results from the employees' perspective. The principles of the Andragogical Theory are (1) adults are motivated to learn as they experience needs and interests that learning will satisfy , (2) adults' orientation to learning is life-centered, (3) experience is the richest resource for adult learning, (4) adults have a deep need to be self- directing, and (5) individual differences among people increase with age. All companies have some form of employee training, so the results of this study are applicable to any company interested in improving the effectiveness of employee training. Leaders of organizations, as well as trainers, should be able to make use of what this study has to offer.